JP7505403B2 - Vehicle floor structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle floor structure.

In general, electric and hybrid cars are equipped with batteries and other components under the floor, and measures to protect the batteries and other components are required in the event that the vehicle comes into contact with another structure. For example, in the lower body structure described in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 3 and other figures, a battery tray 60 is disposed under the floor panel 2. A first impact absorbing member 70 is disposed between the side frame 40 and the side sill 3 around the battery tray 60, making it possible to absorb impact loads such as those from a side collision.

JP 2018-149836 A

However, as shown in FIG. 6, the first impact absorbing member 70 is located below the vehicle interior as viewed from the side sill 3. Therefore, if the first impact absorbing member 70 is deformed, there is a risk that the side sill 3 will move and rotate around the connection point with the floor panel 2 toward the bottom of the floor panel 2. To more fully protect the battery, associated piping, and other components, it is preferable to prevent the side sill 3 from moving toward the bottom of the floor panel 2 as much as possible.

In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle floor structure that can fully protect the battery pack underneath the floor.

To solve the above problems, a representative configuration of the vehicle floor structure according to the present invention is a vehicle floor structure capable of mounting a battery pack on the underside of the floor of a vehicle, the vehicle floor structure comprising a pair of side sills connected to both ends of the floor in the vehicle width direction along the vehicle front-rear direction, a floor cross member provided on the upper side of the floor and spanning the pair of side sills in the vehicle width direction, and a support bracket diagonally connecting the underside of the floor to the inside of the side sill in the vehicle width direction, the support bracket having an interior floor joint joined to the underside of the floor in the vehicle front-rear direction and a side sill joint joined from the inside of the side sill in the vehicle width direction to the underside, and the support bracket is positioned so as to overlap the underside of the floor cross member.

The present invention makes it possible to provide a vehicle floor structure that can fully protect the battery pack underneath the floor.

1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle floor structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; 2A to 2C are views showing the support bracket of FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle floor structure of FIG. 2(b) taken along the line AA. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a modified example of the support bracket of FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the support bracket shown in FIG. 4 along the line B-B.

A vehicle floor structure according to one embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle floor structure capable of mounting a battery pack under the floor of a vehicle, the vehicle floor structure comprising a pair of side sills connected to both ends of the floor in the vehicle width direction along the vehicle front-rear direction, a floor cross member provided on the upper side of the floor and spanning the pair of side sills in the vehicle width direction, and a support bracket diagonally connecting the underside of the floor to the inside of the side sill in the vehicle width direction, the support bracket having an interior floor joint joined to the underside of the floor in the vehicle front-rear direction and a side sill joint joined from the inside of the side sill in the vehicle width direction to the lower side, and the support bracket is characterized in that it is positioned so as to overlap the underside of the floor cross member.

The support bracket functions as a brace between the side sill and the floor, and can transmit and distribute the load received from the side sill from the outside in the vehicle width direction along the floor and in the vertical direction toward the floor cross member. Therefore, with the above configuration, deformation that would cause the side sill to rotate and move downward toward the floor when the vehicle experiences a side collision or the like can be efficiently suppressed by transmitting the load in the vehicle width direction and vertical direction by the support bracket.

The support bracket may further have a bracket inclined portion that diagonally connects the interior floor joint and the side sill joint in the vehicle width direction, and the support bracket may be positioned so that the bracket inclined portion overlaps the lower portion of the floor cross member.

With the above configuration, the support bracket's inclined portion overlaps with the floor cross member, allowing the load received from the side sill to be efficiently transmitted along the inclined portion of the bracket to the floor cross member.

The above-mentioned floor cross member has a cross member front flange which bends forward from the front wall of the floor cross member and is joined to the upper side of the floor, and a cross member rear flange which bends rearward from the rear wall of the floor cross member and is joined to the upper side of the floor, and the support bracket further has a front floor joint which is joined to the underside of the floor across the vehicle width direction, and a rear floor joint which is joined to the underside of the floor across the vehicle width direction rearward of the front floor joint, and the support bracket may be positioned so that the front floor joint overlaps the underside of the cross member front flange of the floor cross member and the rear floor joint overlaps the underside of the cross member rear flange of the floor cross member.

The above configuration also enables the support bracket to efficiently transmit the load received from the side sill to the floor cross member. Specifically, because the front floor joint of the support bracket overlaps with the front flange of the cross member via the floor, even if a load in a direction that rotates the side sill toward the inside of the vehicle is input to the side sill and support bracket, the floor is supported by the front flange of the cross member, preventing the floor from deforming in the vertical direction. The same is true for the rear flange of the cross member. Therefore, with the above configuration, deformation that would cause the side sill to intrude into the inside of the vehicle can be suppressed.

The above floor cross member has a cross member top surface portion formed at a position higher than the side sill and on which a seat bracket of a vehicle seat is installed, and a cross member inclined portion that bends from the end of the cross member top surface portion in the vehicle width direction and extends diagonally downward toward the side sill, and the support bracket may be positioned so that the interior floor joint portion overlaps the underside of the cross member top surface portion of the floor cross member.

The curved portion of the above-mentioned floor cross member between the top surface of the cross member and the inclined portion of the cross member has a shape that gives it high rigidity in the vertical direction. Therefore, by installing the support bracket on the floor below the floor cross member so as to cross the curved portion of the floor cross member in the vehicle width direction, the load received from the side sill is transferred from the support bracket to the floor cross member, and is efficiently distributed from the inclined portion of the cross member to the curved portion of the top surface of the cross member, making it possible to suppress deformation of the floor together with the floor cross member.

The support bracket may further have a mounting portion for a specified pipe. The support bracket has high installation rigidity, making it possible to suitably support the pipe. In particular, the support bracket can suppress rotational deformation of the side sill, making it possible to suitably protect and install the pipe that extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

Below, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific values shown in the embodiment are merely examples to facilitate understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are given the same reference numerals to avoid duplicated explanations, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not illustrated.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle floor structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1(a) shows the vehicle floor structure 100 with a battery pack 104 mounted thereon. Hereinafter, in Figure 1 and all other drawings of the present application, the vehicle front-rear direction is indicated by arrows F (Forward) and B (Backward), the left and right in the vehicle width direction are indicated by arrows L (Leftward) and R (Rightward), and the vehicle up-down direction is indicated by arrows U (Upward) and D (Downward).

The vehicle floor structure 100 is capable of mounting a battery pack 104 on the underside of the floor panel 102. The battery pack 104 is supported from below by multiple support members 106 extending in the vehicle width direction, and its front side is protected by a protective member 108.

Figure 1(b) is a diagram of Figure 1(a) with the battery pack 104 removed. Multiple support brackets 110 are provided in the area where the battery pack 104 is mounted. A pair of side sills 112 are provided at both ends of the floor panel 102 in the vehicle width direction and are members that extend along the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The support brackets 110 are installed at the inner corner formed by the underside of the floor panel 102 and a wall portion 114 of the side sill 112 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction.

Figure 2 shows the support bracket 110 of Figure 1(b) from each direction. Figure 2(a) is a perspective view of the support bracket 110 of Figure 1(b). The support bracket 110 has a bulging region 116 that bulges outward from the center, and a flange 118 is formed to surround this bulging region 116. The support bracket 110 is installed so as to form a closed cross section E1 (see Figure 3) in the inner angle formed by the side sill 112 and the floor panel 102, increasing the connection rigidity between the side sill 112 and the floor panel 102.

An interior floor joint 120 is formed on the flange 118 of the support bracket 110 along the inner edge in the vehicle width direction. The interior floor joint 120 is joined to the underside of the floor panel 102 in the vehicle front-rear direction, supporting the floor panel 102 from below. In addition, a side sill joint 122 is formed on the flange 118 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction. The side sill joint 122 is joined to a position below the interior floor joint 120, from the wall 114 on the inner side of the side sill 112 in the vehicle width direction, across a corner 124 at the lower end of the wall 114, to the underside of the side sill 112.

The bulging area 116 of the support bracket 110 is formed in a triangle so as to fill the inner angle between the side sill 112 and the floor panel 102. In more detail, the bulging area 116 is composed of a bracket inclined portion 126 that diagonally connects the side sill 112 and the floor panel 102, a bracket front wall portion 128, and a bracket rear wall portion 130.

The flange 118 of the support bracket 110 further includes a front floor joint 132 that runs along the vehicle front edge of the support bracket 110, and a rear floor joint 134 that runs along the vehicle rear edge rearward of the front floor joint 132. The front floor joint 132 and the rear floor joint 134 are each joined to the underside of the floor panel 102 in the vehicle width direction.

A floor cross member 136 is provided on the upper side of floor panel 102 so as to span across side sill 112 in the vehicle width direction. Floor cross member 136 is joined to the upper side of floor panel 102 by a cross member front flange 138 that bends forward from the front wall, and a cross member rear flange 140 that bends rearward from the rear wall.

Figure 2(b) is a view of the support bracket 110 in Figure 1(b) from below. In this vehicle floor structure 100, the support bracket 110 is positioned so that it overlaps the bottom of the floor cross member 136. In more detail, the support bracket 110 is positioned so that the front floor joint 132 overlaps the bottom of the cross member front flange 138 of the floor cross member 136, and the rear floor joint 134 overlaps the bottom of the cross member rear flange 140 of the floor cross member 136.

As shown in FIG. 3, the floor panel 102 is joined to the upper surface 112a of the side sill 112, and the support bracket 110 is also joined to the lower surface 112b of the side sill, spanning from the wall portion 114 of the side sill 112 across the corner portion 124.

The above configuration allows the support bracket 110 to efficiently transmit the load received from the side sill 112 to the floor cross member 136. Specifically, the front floor joint 132 of the support bracket 110 overlaps the cross member front flange 138 via the floor panel 102, so that even if a load in a direction that rotates the side sill 112 toward the inside of the vehicle is input to the side sill 112 and the support bracket 110, the floor panel 102 is supported by the cross member front flange 138, and the floor panel 102 can be prevented from deforming in the vertical direction. The same is true for the cross member rear flange 140. Therefore, with this embodiment, deformation of the side sill 112 that intrudes toward the inside of the vehicle can be efficiently suppressed.

The support bracket 110 functions as a diagonal brace between the side sill 112 and the floor panel 102, and can transmit and disperse the load received from the side sill 112 from the outside in the vehicle width direction in a direction along the floor panel 102 and in a vertical direction toward the floor cross member 136. Therefore, according to this embodiment, deformation such as the side sill 112 rotating and moving downward on the floor panel 102 when a side collision or the like occurs on the vehicle can be efficiently suppressed by transmitting the load in the vehicle width direction and in the vertical direction by the support bracket 110. In particular, the support bracket 110 can efficiently absorb the rotation of the side sill 112 because the side sill joint 122 is joined to the corner 124 of the side sill 112.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle floor structure 100 shown in Figure 2(b) taken along the line A-A. The support bracket 110 is positioned so that the bracket inclined portion 126 overlaps the lower portion of the floor cross member 136. The bracket inclined portion 126 of the support bracket 110 connects the interior floor joint 120 and the side sill joint 122 diagonally in the vehicle width direction.

In this embodiment, the side sill joint 122 is joined to the wall 114 of the side sill 112, and the bracket inclined portion 126 extends from the wall 114 at an angle toward the floor panel 102. As another example, the bracket inclined portion 126 can be configured to extend from a corner 124 of the side sill 112 at an angle toward the floor panel 102 (see FIG. 5). With the bracket inclined portion 126 configured in this way, it is possible to more suitably absorb and disperse a load in a direction that tends to rotate the side sill 112 downwardly on the floor panel 102, thereby reducing the movement of the side sill 112 .

In this embodiment, the support bracket 110 has a bracket inclined portion 126 that overlaps the bottom of the floor cross member 136, so that the load received from the side sill 112 can be efficiently transmitted from the side sill joint 122 to the bracket inclined portion 126, and from the interior floor joint 120 to the floor cross member 136 via the floor panel 102.

Here, the cross member top surface 142 of the floor cross member 136 is formed at a position higher than the side sill 112, and is configured to have a seat bracket 144 for mounting a vehicle seat installed thereon. A cross member inclined portion 146 is formed at the end of the floor cross member 136 in the vehicle width direction. The cross member inclined portion 146 is an area that bends from the end of the cross member top surface 142 in the vehicle width direction and extends diagonally downward toward the side sill 112. In contrast, the support bracket 110 is positioned so that the interior floor joint portion 120 overlaps below the cross member top surface 142 of the floor cross member 136. In other words, the bracket inclined portion 126 of the support bracket 110 extends from the side sill 112 to below the cross member top surface 142.

The bending point 148 between the cross member top surface 142 and the cross member inclined portion 146 of the floor cross member 136 has a larger moment of inertia than the flat portion, and its shape gives it high rigidity in the vertical direction. Therefore, the support bracket 110 is installed on the floor panel 102 below the floor cross member 136 so as to cross the bending point 148 of the floor cross member 136 in the vehicle width direction, so that the load received from the side sill 112 can be transmitted from the support bracket 110 to the floor cross member 136 and efficiently distributed from the cross member inclined portion 146 to the bending point 148 of the cross member top surface 142, making it possible to suppress deformation of the side sill 112 and floor panel 102 together with the floor cross member 136.

The above configuration allows the support bracket 110 to absorb the load received from the side sill 112 by distributing it from the cross member top surface 142 to the seat bracket 144. In this case, the more the support bracket 110 extends the interior floor joint 120 to a position further inward in the vehicle width direction and the more the inclination angle of the bracket inclination portion 126 is relaxed, the thicker the cross-sectional shape formed by the support bracket 110 and the upper floor cross member 136 becomes, thereby improving rigidity.

The vehicle floor structure 100 can utilize existing components such as the floor cross member 136 and the seat bracket 144 to absorb the load from the side sill 112. Therefore, the support bracket 110 can reinforce the side sill 112 with a simple configuration, making it possible to reduce weight and costs.

In electric vehicles and the like that have a battery pack 104 below the floor panel 102, the floor panel 102 and floor cross member 136 are positioned higher than the side sill 112 compared to other general vehicles. As a result, in conventional electric vehicles, the rigidity supporting the side sill 112 from the inside in the vehicle width direction is weak, and it is necessary to ensure rigidity by increasing the plate thickness of the side sill 112 itself, or to ensure space between the side sill 112 and the battery pack to allow deformation of the side sill 112, thereby reducing the possibility of contact between the side sill 112 and the battery pack 104 in the event of a side collision, etc.

On the other hand, according to the vehicle floor structure 100 of this embodiment, the support bracket 110 allows the floor cross member 136 to contribute to absorbing the load from the side sill 112. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce weight and costs compared to a case where the rigidity of the side sill 112 itself is improved, and it is also possible to reduce the space between the side sill 112 and the battery pack 104.

The support bracket 110 may further include an attachment portion 152 for a given pipe 150. For example, the attachment portion 152 may be realized by providing an insertion hole for a pin 154 provided at the bundling portion of the pipe 150 in the bulge region 116 (see FIG. 2(a)). Examples of the pipe 150 include water-cooled pipes and brake pipes related to a power supply unit.

The support bracket 110 has high installation rigidity, so it can effectively absorb and support the weight of the piping 150, and suppress vibrations of the piping 150. In particular, the support bracket 110 can suppress rotational deformation of the side sill 112 in the event of a collision, so it is possible to install the piping 150, which extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, while effectively protecting it from contact with the deformed side sill 112. In addition, by providing the support bracket 110 with an attachment portion 152, a bracket for installing the piping is no longer necessary, which reduces the number of parts and makes it possible to reduce costs and weight.

(Modification)
Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a modified example of the support bracket 110 of Fig. 2(b). In Fig. 4 and subsequent figures, the same components as those already explained in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and explanations of the already mentioned components are omitted. In the following explanation, components with the same names as those already explained have the same functions, even if they are given different reference numerals, unless otherwise specified.

In the support bracket 200 shown in FIG. 4, the bracket inclined portion 202 is wider toward the inside in the vehicle width direction than the support bracket 110 in FIG. 2(b). As a result, the bracket front wall portion 204 and the bracket rear wall portion 206 also overlap below the cross member front flange 138 and the cross member rear flange 140 of the floor cross member 136.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of the support bracket 200 in FIG. 4. In the support bracket 200, the side sill joint 122 is joined to the lower surface 112b of the side sill 112, and the bracket inclined portion 202 extends at an angle from the corner 124 of the side sill 112 toward the floor panel 102. In other words, the support bracket 200 has no bent portion in the range from the bracket inclined portion 202 to the side sill joint 122. The bracket inclined portion 202 of the support bracket 200 can more suitably absorb a load in a direction that tends to rotate the side sill 112 toward the lower side of the floor panel 102, thereby reducing the movement of the side sill 112 .

The support bracket 200 allows the load from the side sill 112 to be transmitted more efficiently to the floor cross member 136, thereby more completely preventing the side sill 112 from rotating downwardly relative to the floor panel 102 in the event of a side collision, etc.

In addition, even if the vertical cross section of the bracket inclined portions 126, 202 in FIG. 3 is not strictly straight but curved to a certain degree, it is possible to transmit the load from the side sill joint 122 to the interior floor joint 120 without any problems.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the attached drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the examples described. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modified or revised examples within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

This invention can be used in vehicle floor structures.

100...vehicle floor structure, 102...floor panel, 104...battery pack, 106...support member, 108...protective member, 110...support bracket, 112...side sill, 112a...upper surface, 112b...lower surface, 114...wall portion, 116...bulging area, 118...flange, 120...inner-side floor joint, 122...side sill joint, 124...corner portion, 126...bracket inclined portion, 128...bracket front wall portion, 130...bracket rear wall portion, 132 ...Front floor joint, 134...Rear floor joint, 136...Floor cross member, 138...Cross member front flange, 140...Cross member rear flange, 142...Cross member top surface, 144...Seat bracket, 146...Cross member inclined portion, 148...Bend point, 150...Pipe, 152...Mounting portion, 154...Pin, 200...Support bracket, 202...Bracket inclined portion, 204...Bracket front wall portion, 206...Bracket rear wall portion

Claims (5)

A vehicle floor structure capable of mounting a battery pack under a vehicle floor,
The vehicle floor structure includes:
A pair of side sills connected to both ends of the floor in a vehicle width direction along a vehicle front-rear direction;
A floor cross member is provided on an upper side of the floor and is stretched across the pair of side sills in the vehicle width direction;
a support bracket that diagonally connects a lower side of the floor and an inner side of the side sill in a vehicle width direction,
The support bracket is
an interior floor joint portion joined to an underside of the floor in the vehicle front-rear direction;
a side sill joint portion that is joined from the inner side to the lower side of the side sill in the vehicle width direction,
The support bracket is disposed below the floor cross member in a position overlapping the floor cross member ,
The vehicle floor structure further comprises a bracket inclined portion that connects the interior floor joint portion and the side sill joint portion diagonally in the vehicle width direction . The vehicle floor structure according to claim 1, wherein the support bracket is disposed so that the bracket inclined portion overlaps a lower portion of the floor cross member. The floor cross member is
A cross member front flange bent forward from a front wall of the floor cross member and joined to an upper side of the floor;
a cross-member rear flange bent rearward from the rear wall of the floor cross-member and joined to the upper side of the floor,
The support bracket further comprises:
a front floor joint portion joined to an underside of the floor across the vehicle width direction;
a rear floor joint portion joined to an underside of the floor across a vehicle width direction rearward of the front floor joint portion,
The vehicle floor structure described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the support bracket is positioned so that the front floor joint overlaps the underside of the cross member front flange of the floor cross member and the rear floor joint overlaps the underside of the cross member rear flange of the floor cross member. The floor cross member is
a cross member top surface portion formed at a position higher than the side sill and on which a seat bracket of a vehicle seat is installed;
a cross member inclined portion that is bent from an end portion in a vehicle width direction of the cross member top surface portion and extends obliquely downward toward the side sill,
4. The vehicle floor structure according to claim 1, wherein the support bracket is disposed so that the vehicle interior floor joint portion overlaps below the cross member top surface portion of the floor cross member. A vehicle floor structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the support bracket further has a mounting portion for a specified pipe.

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